The present invention generally relates to fall protection/restraint devices, and more specifically to personal fall protection/restraint devices for worker protection while working in bucket trucks or other aerial lift equipment.
Effective Apr. 15, 2015, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Standard 29 C.F.R. §1926.502(d)(16)(iii), personal fall arrest systems when stopping a fall from an aerial lift shall “be rigged such that an employee can neither free fall more than 6 feet (1.8 m), nor contact any lower level” if ejected from the aerial lift.
For years electrical workers have been wearing a full body harness and a six-foot shock absorbing lanyard for fall protection in case they were ejected while working in an aerial lift truck. One end of the six-foot lanyard was connected to a D-ring on the back of the full body harness that the worker was wearing. The other end of the lanyard was connected to a predetermined anchorage point designed by the truck manufacturer on either the truck boom or bucket. Due to the emphasis on fall protection and more enforcement by OSHA, after Apr. 15, 2015 the six-foot lanyard will no longer be a compliant fall protection system until the worker is clear of all obstacles that would be hit if the worker was ejected from the aerial lift bucket with only a six-foot lanyard to stop the fall. When the worker is raising the bucket out of its cradle and working over the top of elevated obstructions, including the bed of the aerial lift truck, the six-foot lanyard is not likely to be able to stop the workers fall before the worker contacts a lower level obstruction.
If a shorter lanyard is used, the current factory-installed anchorage points will limit a worker's ability to move around on the aerial lift and perform work. It would be desirable to have a fall protection/restraint system that meets OSHA regulations while also allowing the worker to more easily and comfortably move around in the aerial lift and perform assigned tasks.
Embodiments of the disclosed fall protection/restraint system can relocate and/or provide alternative anchorage points for fall protection/restraint other than the anchorage point(s) typically provided for an aerial lift bucket truck, or other type of aerial lift device. Embodiments of the disclosed fall protection/restraint system can allow freedom of movement for the worker while using a shorter (less than six foot) fall protection lanyard and can provide for the worker's safety. These fall protection/restraint devices can be designed to be installed in various locations on the aerial lift, for example on the outside of a bucket, or the inside of a bucket, or the floor of a bucket or aerial lift. The fall protection/restraint devices can be designed to be as large or as small as required. Two or more of the fall protection/restraint devices can be installed to accommodate more workers if needed.
An anchorage device for an aerial lift is disclosed that includes a base plate for coupling to the aerial lift, and a slide bar having a length between a first end and a second end where the first and second ends of the slide bar are coupled to the base plate. When a lanyard coupler is attached to the slide bar, the lanyard coupler can move along the length of the slide bar between the first and second ends of the slide bar. The slide bar can be U-shaped. The slide bar can be coated with an insulating material. The aerial device can include a bucket, and the base plate can be coupled to the inside or the outside of the bucket.
The base plate can be coupled to the aerial lift using an adhesive. The anchorage device can also include a mounting plate, where the mounting plate is attached to the aerial lift and the base plate is attached to the mounting plate. The mounting plate can be attached to the aerial lift using an adhesive, and the base plate can be attached to the mounting plate using bolts.
The anchorage device can include a supplementary anchorage point for attaching to the aerial lift using a supplementary lanyard, where the supplementary anchorage point is coupled to the base plate. In this embodiment, if the base plate detaches from the aerial lift when a supplementary lanyard is attached between the supplementary anchorage point and the aerial lift, the supplementary lanyard attached to the supplementary anchorage point restrains falling of the anchorage device.
The anchorage device can include first and second stanchions extending from base ends to upper ends; where the base ends of the first and second stanchions are attached to the base plate, the first end of the slide bar is attached to the upper end of the first stanchion, and the second end of the slide bar is attached to the upper end of the second stanchion. In this embodiment, when a lanyard coupler is attached to the slide bar, the lanyard coupler can move along the length of the slide bar between the first and second stanchions.
The anchorage device can also include a supplementary anchorage point for attaching to the aerial lift using a supplementary lanyard, where the supplementary anchorage point is coupled to one of the first and second stanchions. In this embodiment, if the base plate detaches from the aerial lift when a supplementary lanyard is attached between the supplementary anchorage point and the aerial lift, the supplementary lanyard attached to the supplementary anchorage point restrains falling of the anchorage device.
A removable anchorage device is disclosed for attaching to a bucket of an aerial lift, where the bucket has a lip. The removable anchorage device includes inner and outer mounting bars, first and second bucket engaging brackets, and a slide bar. Each of the first and second bucket engaging brackets couples the inner and outer mounting bars. The slide bar has a length between a first end and a second end, where the first and second ends of the slide bar are coupled to the inner mounting bar. The first and second bucket engaging brackets are shaped to fit over the lip of the bucket so the removable anchorage device can be removably attached to and detached from the bucket. When attached to the bucket, the outer mounting bar is on the outside of the bucket and the inner mounting bar is on the inside of the bucket. When a lanyard coupler is attached to the slide bar, the lanyard coupler can move along the length of the slide bar between the first and second ends of the slide bar. The slide bar can be U-shaped. The slide bar can be coated with an insulating material.
The removable anchorage device can also include a supplementary anchorage point for attaching to the aerial lift using a supplementary lanyard, where the supplementary anchorage point is coupled to one of the inner and outer mounting bars. In this embodiment, if the anchorage device detaches from the aerial lift when a supplementary lanyard is attached between the supplementary anchorage point and the aerial lift, the supplementary lanyard attached to the supplementary anchorage point restrains falling of the anchorage device.
The removable anchorage device can also include a supplementary lanyard for attaching to the aerial lift, and at least one of the inner and outer mounting bars can be hollow. The supplementary lanyard can pass through the at least one hollow mounting bar of the inner and outer mounting bars so that the anchorage device detaches from the aerial lift when the supplementary lanyard is attached to the aerial lift, the supplementary lanyard restrains falling of the anchorage device.
The removable anchorage device can also include first and second stanchions, each extending from a base end to an upper end. The base ends of the first and second stanchions can be attached to the inner mounting bar, the first end of the slide bar can be attached to the upper end of the first stanchion, and the second end of the slide bar can be attached to the upper end of the second stanchion, such that when a lanyard coupler is attached to the slide bar, the lanyard coupler can move along the length of the slide bar between the first and second stanchions.
The removable anchorage device can also include a supplementary anchorage point for attaching to the aerial lift using a supplementary lanyard, where the supplementary anchorage point being coupled to one of the first and second stanchions. In this embodiment, if the anchorage device detaches from the aerial lift when a supplementary lanyard is attached between the supplementary anchorage point and the aerial lift, the supplementary lanyard attached to the supplementary anchorage point restrains falling of the anchorage device.
The removable anchorage device can also include a supplementary lanyard for attaching to the aerial lift, and at least one of the inner and outer mounting bars can be hollow such that the supplementary lanyard can pass through the at least one hollow mounting bar of the inner and outer mounting bars. In this embodiment, if the anchorage device detaches from the aerial lift when the supplementary lanyard is attached to the aerial lift, the supplementary lanyard restrains falling of the anchorage device.